Just got back from another trip to the Creek where I met and climbed with the most amazing folk. I have been back two days and I am having serious withdrawls. I simply cant seem to think clearly, I cant stop dreaming of the wide cracks, the rattely fingers, the goobies...... Is there help available?

Just got back from another trip to the Creek where I met and climbed with the most amazing folk. I have been back two days and I am having serious withdrawls. I simply cant seem to think clearly, I cant stop dreaming of the wide cracks, the rattely fingers, the goobies...... Is there help available?

I found slacklining and highlining to be a good alternative. I still get to play with climbing gear and it is pretty fun once you start to get good at it. Walking a 200' longline is really peaceful. Getting proficient at slacklining and highlining is also useful to climbing in that it increases your overall mastery. The forces subjected to equipment involved in highlines can be pretty extreme, so as a result you will learn how to build very strong anchors and systems. You will also learn a shit ton about webbing and you will get exposed to webbing types you probably never even knew existed. It is pretty funny because in climbing, standard UIAA certified climbspec 1" webbing is considered pretty bomber stuff, but in slacklining, the same material is pretty much the bottom of the barrel.

Mia bless yer hart the creek has withdrawls wen yer not out in the dark crack's doing yer thing.. im putting together a support group for people like us but i keep coming up with real bad names for our cause? crack heads, crack addiction, help if you have aney better one's to use . DF

And climbing. It does not increase your ability to climb hard routes to place gear quicker, but it helps you to understand the limitations of climbing gear and systems used in climbing; not as much in slacklining, but certainly in highlining. We use the same fundamental elements in building our highline anchors that climbers use in building their anchors. But unlike climbers who rarely get to test if their anchor will hold a factor two fall, we always get to test that. A leashed fall on a highline anchor can easily produce 10kN, and in some cases, even as much as 20-25kN with ultra-low stretch webbing types. Also, slacklining requires a solid understanding of how to build mechanical advantage systems. How many climbers do you think could build a 10:1 mechanical advantage system with two double pulleys, one single pulley, some rope and some biners in less than four minutes? I am guessing not many climbers can, but any serious slackliner could. That knowledge transfers over to building hauling systems on big walls, self-rescue, and search and rescue where you might need to lift a person off the wall. Hopefully you would know not to use a 10:1 though.

Also, highlining can significantly increase the strength of your lead head. If you think lead climbing might be scarey, try highlining. I have climbed numerous wall on El Cap without being the least scared, but the first time I stepped on a highline, I was shitting bricks. I did not want to step out, the exposure was so insane, and I have never felt like that on a climb, no matter how hard or exposed it was. If you have lead head problems and you get into highlining to the point that you can walk a full highline, I guarantee that when you return to climbing you will be more confident leading.

Lastly, I have always been a firm believer that being a true master or expert of climbing is dependent on your overall knowledge and ability in all forms of climbing and everything related. In other words, I would not consider many of these new hotshot V14 climbing kids to be a climbing expert, because that is the only thing they know how to do. I believe the true heroes are the ones who are experienced in sport, trad, aid, ice, alpine, slacklining and highlining, mountaineering, FA's, bolting routes, gym climbing, self-rescue, climbing engineering - everything. They have been everywhere and they have done everything. So slacklinigng and highlining is just another check in the box on the way to becoming overall proficient.